This invention relates generally to drink dispensers, including nursing bottles for infants. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drink dispenser with a flexible draw tube.
Nursing bottles for infants are generally known in the art and typically comprise a resilient nipple mounted onto a cap or neck ring which is adapted in turn for mounting onto a bottle containing a selected beverage or food product in liquid form for an infant. The resilient nipple comprises a soft and collapsible mouthpiece which is manipulated by the infant with an alternating collapsing and expansion motion in combination with a sucking action to draw the liquid contents of the bottle through a nipple port. Nursing bottles of this standard type must be held in an inverted or substantially inverted position during use, to ensure fluid flow communication of the bottle contents to the resilient nipple. Further, such conventional bottles naturally fill with air as the infant drinks the liquid. In turn, the feeding infant tends to swallow some of the air, causing indigestion.
As an improvement on this long existing configuration, a newer generation of baby nursing bottles include a polymeric cylinder into which a collapsible plastic bag or liner can be positioned. The plastic bag is usually secured at the top of the cylinder by a neck ring or the like. The milk, formula or other liquid is then added to the bag rather than to the cylinder or bottle itself. When topped with the appropriate nipple assembly, this arrangement desirably provides a system under which the bag gradually collapses as the infant feeds from the liquid therein. However, because the bag collapses, pockets of the milk, formula or other liquid can be formed which are not easily accessible by the infant as there is no direct path or space available for fluid to flow to the nipple. Increasing suction is required to provide an ever decreasing fluid flow.
Due to the natural inclination of the plastic bag or liner to collapse upon itself and constrict fluid flow as the infant consumes the liquid, the infant child cannot suck fluid from the bottle while in a vertically erect or standing position. This is an ever increasing concern as the child grows and matures and desires to feed from the bottle in a sitting or standing position. In order to provide a constant fluid flow, the child must horizontally recline or arch his or her neck and back to force the fluid towards the nipple of the inverted bottle. However, even in an inverted position, small pockets of fluid can still be formed within the flattening liner and require a great deal of suction to remove.
Morever, these nursing bottles allow air to enter into the liner after the bottle has been put aside, particularly in an upright position such as might be the case when the baby is being burped or otherwise attended to. The weight of the liquid in the liner tends to pull the liner downward drawing air into the liner through the nipple. Air may also be drawn into the liner through the nipple or cap when the baby stops sucking for a period of time. Once the bottle is inverted and the infant begins feeding again, the air travels through the liquid and is trapped in a pocket at the top of the inverted bottle. As the fluid is removed, the air pocket remains at the top of the inverted bottle and can be nearly closed off by the liner as the fluid is removed. If the infant continues to suck after the fluid is removed, air is drawn through the nipple and into the infant causing indigestion.
Bottles have been devised that incorporate plastic bags. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,287 discloses a plastic bag with a lower rigid support which is manually slid into the cylinder to force the plastic bag upward to remove air out of the bottle. However, this does nothing to solve the problem of pockets of milk, formula or other liquid forming as the plastic bag collapses which denies the infant the ability to consume their full amount of milk, formula or other liquid. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,973, bottle incorporates a valve into or otherwise associated with the nipple which is intended to overcome the problems which are brought about when air enters the bottle. However, as fluid is removed from the liner, the liner still collapses upon itself to create a constriction between portions of the fluid which are then difficult if not impossible for the child to access.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple drink dispenser construction that permits all or nearly all of the liquid to be accessed by the child. There is a further need for a drink dispenser which permits the user to suck liquid easily and smoothly from the drink dispenser in virtually any orientation. There is an additional need for a drink dispenser having an elongated flow or delivery tube to accommodate versatile bottle positioning relative to a resilient nipple member, while insuring substantial liquid flow of the liquid to the infant in response to a normal suction action. There is also a need for a drink dispenser which allows the infant to feed from any angle or position, including an upright standing position. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.